Enraged Cristiano Ronaldo clashes with opponent and raises fist to referee after red card

Ronaldo was sent off playing for Al-Nassr during a Saudi Super Cup match

Cristiano Ronaldo was shown a red card for raising his fist at a referee (Getty Images)

Cristiano Ronaldo appeared to lose his head during Al-Nassr’s Saudi Super Cup semi-final defeat by Al-Hilal.

The Portugal international appeared to elbow and stamp on his opponent during the match, before inexplicably raising a fist towards the referee when he was shown a red card for the first offence.

Al-Nassr were trailing 2-0 in the final moments of the match when the former Real Madrid forward clashed with Ali Al-Bulaihi near the touchline, when the Al-Hilal player tried to stop Ronaldo from taking a quick throw in.

The pair appeared to square up with the ball out of play with footage showing Ronaldo putting out an elbow towards the defender, and another clip showing what appeared to be a stamp on the player, although the footage on that one is not clear.

When the referee drew a red card for Ronaldo’s violent conduct, the league’s talisman signing appeared to raise his first in anger while the official had his back turned.

The incident involving Ronaldo appeared to spark a wider incident between the two rival teams, with a number of former Premier League players including Aymeric Laporte and Kalidou Koulibaly involved.

The referee had already shown Ronaldo a yellow card for an incident earlier in the match when he protested over a disallowed goal.

It is not the first incident involving the forward that has happened this year, in February, Ronaldo was suspended for a match by appearing to make an obscene gesture during the end of Al-Nassr’s win over Al-Shabab.

The fans were chanting for his rival Lionel Messi, and Ronaldo reacted and was suspended for a match and subject to a fine.

Ronaldo made the move to Saudi Arabia in January 2023 and has not won a trophy with his new side since.